4G or Fourth
Generation is future technology for mobile and wireless
comunications. It will be the successor for the 3Rd Generation (3G)
network technology. Currently 3G networks are under deployement.
Approximatly 4G deployments are expected to be seen around 2010 to 2015.
The basic voice was the
driver for second-generation mobile and has been a considerable
success. Currently , video and TV services are driving forward third
generation (3G) deployment. And in the future, low cost, high speed
data will drive forward the fourth generation (4G) as short-range
communication emerges. Service and application ubiquity, with a high
degree of personalization and synchronization between various user
appliances, will be another driver. At the same time, it is probable
that the radio access network will evolve from a centralized
architecture to a distributed one.
The evolution from 3G to
4G will be driven by services that offer better quality (e.g.
multimedia, video and sound) thanks to greater bandwidth, more
sophistication in the association of a large quantity of information,
and improved personalization. Convergence with other network
(enterprise, fixed) services will come about through the high session
data rate. It will require an always-on connection and a revenue model
based on a fixed monthly fee. The impact on network capacity is
expected to be significant. Machine-to-machine transmission will
involve two basic equipment types: sensors (which measure parameters)
and tags (which are generally read/write equipment).
It is expected that users
will require high data rates, similar to those on fixed networks, for
data and streaming applications. Mobile terminal usage (laptops,
Personal digital assistants, handhelds) is expected to grow rapidly as
they become more user friendly. Fluid high quality video and network
reactivity are important user requirements. Key infrastructure design
requirements include: fast response, high session rate, high capacity,
low user charges, rapid return on investment for operators, investment
that is in line with the growth in demand, and simple autonomous
terminals. The infrastructure will be much more distributed than in
current deployments, facilitating the introduction of a new source of
local traffic: machine-to-machine.
Key 4G
technologies:
-
Orthogonal Frequency
Division Multiplexing (OFDM)
-
Software Defined Radio
(SDR)
-
Multiple-input
multiple-output ( MIMO )
Initially DoCoMo planned
to introduce 4G services around 2010. Recently DoCoMo announced plans
to introduce 4G services from 2006, i.e. four years earlier than
previously planned. NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced that high-speed packet
transmission with 1 Gbps data rate in the downlink was achieved
successfully in a laboratory experiment using fourth-generation (4G)
mobile communication radio access equipments.
The key
enablers for the 4G are:
-
Sufficient spectrum,
with associated sharing mechanisms.
-
Coverage with two
technologies: parent (2G, 3G, WiMAX) for real-time delivery, and
discontinuous pico cell for high data rate delivery.
-
Caching technology in
the network and terminals.
-
OFDM and MIMO.
-
IP mobility.
-
Multi-technology
distributed architecture.
-
Fixed-mobile
convergence (for indoor service).
-
Network selection
mechanisms.
4G Resources/
Referances:
Alcatel 4G Mobile
Broadband
and 4G Tutorial
4G Wireless technology (pdf)
4G news
and info
4G
faq
Recent comments